Surprising similarities between illustrator Yu Nagaba and "Unique".

Behind the artists with KEEN UNEEK. vol.01 Yu Nagaba

Illustrator Osamu Nagaba and "Unique" have something unexpected in common.

The "UNEEK" open-air sneaker was created in 2015 by Portland-based outdoor footwear brand KEEN, and has revolutionized both the sandal and sneaker scenes with its innovative visuals and functional beauty that are unlike any other shoe on the market. The "UNEEK" open-air sneaker, created with a new technology, has revolutionized both the sandal and sneaker scenes with its innovative visuals and functional beauty. The new UNEEK PERSPECTIVES website will be launched on March 7 (Japan time), and will feature a collection of UNEEK PERSPECTIVES, selected by Keen, that will showcase the work of free expressionists from around the world, and will also feature the latest news from the UNEEK PERSPECTIVES website. UNEEK's 2017 Spring/Summer season visuals, which were created in collaboration with free expressionists of various genres from around the world, selected by Keen, and their special interview videos can be enjoyed.

 

Here, we focus on two Japanese collaborators selected for this season's "UNEEK PERSPECTIVES" and introduce the new appeal of "unique" shoes along with their thoughts on their creative activities. . First, let's start with illustrator Yu Nagaba.

  • Photo_Genki Nishikawa
  • Text_Yuji Nakata
  • Edit_Jun Nakada
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Q1. Please briefly introduce yourself and describe the style and creativity of your work.

I'm Yu Nagaba, an illustrator . . The style of my work is line drawings, black and white, and simple. I mostly draw people, but at first I drew famous people, characters, and paintings. . I started out thinking that it would be nice if I could use motifs of things that many people know and enjoy. However, recently I have drawn all the famous things I wanted to draw, so I have been drawing more so-called common girls and boys. I try to draw works in which I can feel some kind of sympathy for the characters, not because they are famous, but because of their facial expressions and gestures.

Q.2 What do you find interesting about being a visual artist?

. since I am the only one in the production environment, I am really all alone. After completing the solitary work and delivering the product, you can find it in the city a few months later. That's the first time I realize, "Oh, it's my work! It's my work!" I am moved and realize that it is my work, and I feel liberated from my loneliness. It can be a book, a T-shirt, an advertisement, and so on. I feel that it is interesting to be able to see my work spread to many different places through the solitude of creating it.

Q.3 What does "individuality" and "unique style" mean to you?

." "Doing what others don't do" is what I mean. For example, most illustrators tend to add more lines to their work to make it more lively, but I do the opposite. But I do the opposite. I always try to reduce the number of lines as much as possible, while still trying to create rich expressions. The same can be said for books of my work, etc. Instead of simple zines, I make hardcover books, which are more expensive to produce, but I always make sure that they are well produced. I believe that individuality and uniqueness exist in choices that many people do not make.

Q.4 What is the difference between "self-expression" as an artist and "self-expression" as an individual?

As an artist, I put the feelings of the recipient first in my self-expression. There are all kinds of people and emotions in the world, and I have to create a mechanism so that these people can look at my work and catch as much as possible of it as they wish. Conversely, for self-expression as an individual, I should genuinely do what I want to do, regardless of what others may think. Furthermore, there is no need to communicate that. They are two completely different processes of self-expression, but I think they are both very rewarding.

Q.5 How does KEEN's "UNEEK" inspire you?

I think sandals have a certain basic shape. I think this unique style is the result of my pursuit to find a newer form. Since I arrived at my current style, I have been drawing illustrations every day, thinking about the possibility of updating the style so that I don't become complacent. In that sense, I can relate to many aspects of Unique's design, and it gives me a lot of courage.

Q.6 How can I follow the work of Mr. Nagaba?

I have an Instagram page under the name 'kaerusensei. I upload one picture a day of my work, and I also upload illustrations of other work I have been involved in, so I think you will enjoy it.

Q.7 Please tell us about your production process and why you create art.

I was praised by my parents, teachers, and siblings for the pictures I drew when I was a child, and I realized that my special skill was drawing. . From that time on, I vaguely thought it would be nice to work in the arts in the future. When I was about that age, I also loved LEGO bricks, and at first I just followed the models, but then I gradually found something I wanted to build. I wanted to recreate the Falcon from Star Wars, so I would work from morning till night building it. But in the end, I couldn't make it right because I didn't have enough blocks. I was that absorbed in my work. When I think about it, even now, at the age of 40, my feelings may not have changed at all from when I was a child. I think I had already decided to pursue a career in art.

Q.8 What are the particular influences on your inspiration?

. culture, of course. . mainly music, movies, and fashion. . In terms of music, I was most influenced by Nirvana when I was an adolescent. I started listening to the Beastie Boys and the Boredoms, which led me to indie music, and I also listened to a lot of contemporary music, noise music, house music, techno, and hip-hop. . There were times when I listened to ethnic music. When I was a university student, I would buy music that I had never heard before and ask the staff to teach me or buy it at the maniacal record stores in Shinjuku and Tower Records, where some of the music was also maniacal. I was also an omnivore when it came to movies, and I would try to watch any movie that my friends recommended or that I thought was even remotely good. I think all of these experiences have led me to where I am today.

Q.9 Where is your favorite place in the city? Please also tell us why.

My favorite city is Tokyo, and in the Shibuya/Daikanyama area, I like Daikanyama Tsutaya. They carry a wide range of books, from magazines to foreign books, so I go there whenever I have a problem. I myself go to "Daikanyama Tsutaya" to buy books and other goods. I am good friends with the staff there, so I can ask them for their recommendations as soon as they come in. I also like a slightly maniacal bookstore called "POST" in Ebisu. It mainly sells Western books, many of which are not currently on sale or are rare, and the owner is always kind enough to tell me about interesting books. I also often go to a soba (buckwheat noodle) restaurant called "Sanryo" in Oyamadai, my hometown. I have always loved buckwheat noodles, and I go to various towns to eat them, but Sanryo is very comfortable, not only because of the taste, but also because the staff is not too close to me or too far from me. I might go there at least once a week.

Q.10 Where is your favorite place in nature? Please also tell us why.

I don't have a specific place in mind, but I like hot springs and go there often. . Because of my work, I get tendonitis and back pain from sitting and writing, so that's when I go to a hot spring. The other day, I went to a hot spring hotel in an old Japanese house in Ueda City, Nagano Prefecture. It was the perfect refreshment."

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